The 2018 Illinois Legislative
Calendar can
be found here.For the latest statuson a particular bill, click on
the bill
number in the table below.
WATCH THIS SPACE FOR BREAKING NEWS ON ANY BILL(S) THAT PROPOSE
PENSION
CHANGES!

Be aware of the past
and remember the
George Santayana
quote: "Those who
cannot remember the
past are condemned to repeat it."

For some
history of our
struggle to maintain and protect our pension, see our
'archives' page here.

Amends the Chicago
Laborers Article of the Illinois Pension Code. Provides that if
the city fails to transmit required contributions to the pension
fund, the fund may certify to the State Comptroller the amount
due, and the Comptroller must deduct and remit to (instead of
deposit into) the fund the certified amounts from payments of
State funds (instead of grants of State funds) to the city.
Specifies that the certification must be in accordance with any
applicable rules of the Comptroller. (Monitor)

Amends the Invest in Kids Act. Provides
that the term "qualified school" means a non-public school located
in Illinois that is registered with the State Board of Education
on or before June 30, 2018 or is recognized as a qualified
non-public school by the State Board of Education.

Amends the General Provisions Article of
the Illinois Pension Code. Provides that a retirement system or
investment board created under the State Employee, State
Universities, Downstate Teachers, Chicago Teachers, or the Board
of Investment Article may not enter into a contract for lobbying
services with a lobbyist who represents another retirement system
or investment board created under one of those Articles. Defines
"lobbying" and "lobbyist".

Amends the General
Provisions Article of the Illinois Pension Code. Provides that any
open meeting of the board of trustees of a retirement system or
pension fund or any committee established by a retirement system
or pension fund must be broadcast to the public and maintained in
real-time on the retirement system's or pension fund's website
using a high-speed Internet connection. Amends the State Mandates
Act to require implementation without reimbursement by the State.

Amends the State
Employees, State Universities, and Downstate Teachers Articles of
the Illinois Pension Code. Provides that on or after the effective
date of the amendatory Act, appointments to the position of
executive director or chief investment officer must be made with
the advice and consent of the Senate. Amends the Chicago Teachers
Article of the Illinois Pension Code. Provides that on or after
the effective date of the amendatory Act, appointments to the
position of executive director, chief investment officer, or chief
legal officer must be made with the advice and consent of the
Senate.

Amends the
Invest in Kids Act. Provides that no credits may be awarded under
the Act for any taxable year that begins in a State fiscal year
for which the minimum statutory funding level is not met. Provides
that the carry-forward period for those credits shall be suspended
for any taxable year that begins in a State fiscal year for which
the minimum statutory funding level is not met. Requires the State
Board of Education to determine whether or not the State has met
the minimum funding level for the fiscal year and to transmit a
copy of the determination to the Department of Revenue.

Amends the Charter
Schools Article of the School Code. Removes provisions providing
that the total number of charter schools operating under this
Article at any one time shall not exceed 120. Removes a provision
limiting the number of charter schools to 70 in any city having a
population exceeding 500,000. Removes a provision limiting the
number of charter schools to 45 in the remainder of the State.
Removes a provision providing that the State Board of Education
shall assign a number to each charter submission it receives for
its review and certification, based on the chronological order in
which the submission is received by it. (Oppose)

Voice your
opinion!!
Personal visits to the office, letters, e-mails are much
more effective
than phone calls.

FEDERAL
LEGISLATION

(1/9/2017)Support The Social Security Fairness
initiative.
Encourage your federal legislators to eliminate the
Windfall
Elimination Provision (WEP) and the Government Pension
Offset (GPO)
that penalize us for receiving a public pension even
though we have
paid into Social security.
Details here.
For a summary of the materials presented at a AARP:NRTA
conference in
Washington D.C. see this page.See alsohttp://www.ssfairness.com/.